The Supreme Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to examine whether the investigation into alleged irregularities in donations and offerings to the Ayodhya Ram temple should be handed over to the Special Investigation Team (SIT), and to file a report on the feasibility of doing so.
The matter arises from allegations of financial misconduct involving devotees’ donations. A three-member SIT constituted by the state had earlier verified that irregularities had occurred, following which local police registered a case and arrested eight people so far.
Public interest petitions before the Supreme Court sought a CBI probe into the alleged scam. Separately, RJD MP Sudhakar Singh and others requested directions for an audit of the Ram temple trust’s overall income and expenditure through the central audit mechanism or a forensic audit.
Hearing the petitions, a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Jaymalyya Bakshi and V. Mohana, cautioned that the issue should not be politicised, stressing that courts are not a forum for politics and that the focus is on ensuring a fair and proper criminal investigation.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Uttar Pradesh, submitted the investigation status report and said the SIT was formed to verify the complaint, after which the police proceeded with the criminal case. The court then asked the state to study and report on whether the primary probe should be entrusted to the SIT to ensure transparency. The hearing was adjourned to July 27.
